Amos 4:13 kjv
For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.
Amos 4:13 nkjv
For behold, He who forms mountains, And creates the wind, Who declares to man what his thought is, And makes the morning darkness, Who treads the high places of the earth? The LORD God of hosts is His name.
Amos 4:13 niv
He who forms the mountains, who creates the wind, and who reveals his thoughts to mankind, who turns dawn to darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth? the LORD God Almighty is his name.
Amos 4:13 esv
For behold, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind, and declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning darkness, and treads on the heights of the earth ? the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name!
Amos 4:13 nlt
For the LORD is the one who shaped the mountains,
stirs up the winds, and reveals his thoughts to mankind.
He turns the light of dawn into darkness
and treads on the heights of the earth.
The LORD God of Heaven's Armies is his name!
Amos 4 13 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Amos 4:13 | "For behold, he who forms the mountains, creates the wind, declares to man what is his thought, who makes the morning dawn and darkness, treads on the high places of the earth, the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name." | Primary declaration of God's attributes |
| Isaiah 40:26 | "Lift up your eyes on high; see who created these; who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might, and because he is strong in power, not one is missing." | God's creation and power |
| Isaiah 45:7 | "I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create calamity; I the LORD do all these things." | God's sovereignty over creation and events |
| Jeremiah 10:12 | "He has made the earth by his power, established the world by his wisdom, and stretched out the heavens by his understanding." | God's wisdom in creation |
| Psalm 148:5 | "Let them praise the name of the LORD! For he commanded and they were created." | God's command in creation |
| Job 38:4-11 | "Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements—surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it? On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone, when the morning stars sang together and all the sons of God shouted for joy? "Who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb, when I made clouds its garment and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed limits for it and set its doors and bars, and said, ‘Thus far shall you come, and here shall your waves be stayed’?" | God's control over the seas |
| Job 38:31-33 | "Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzeroth in their season, or guide the Bear with her children? Do you know the ordinances of the heavens? Can you establish their rule on the earth?" | God's command over the stars |
| Psalm 19:1 | "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork." | The heavens declare God's glory |
| John 1:1-3 | "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made." | Christ as Creator |
| Colossians 1:16-17 | "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." | Christ holds all creation together |
| Revelation 4:11 | "‘Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.’" | God's worthiness due to creation |
| Acts 17:24 | "The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by hand." | God's ownership of creation |
| Romans 1:20 | "For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." | God's attributes are seen in creation |
| Psalm 95:5 | "The sea is his, for he made it, and the land his hands formed." | God's ownership of land and sea |
| Genesis 1:1 | "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." | The foundational act of creation |
| Nahum 1:3-6 | "The LORD is slow to anger and great in power, and the LORD will by no means clear the guilty. He has the wind and in his clouds for the stormy sea. He reproves the deep, and dries it up, and makes the rivers a desert; Bashan and Carmel wither; the blossom of Lebanon withers. The mountains quake before him; the hills melt; the earth is upheaval before him, the world and all who dwell in it. Who can stand before his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath will be poured out like fire, and the rocks will be broken before him." | God's power and wrath |
| Zechariah 12:1 | "The burden of the word of the LORD concerning Israel: declares the LORD, who stretches out the heavens and lays the foundation of the earth and forms the spirit of man within him:" | God's involvement in creation and humanity |
| Psalm 8:3 | "When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place," | God's work in the cosmos |
| Ephesians 3:10 | "to the intent that now by means of the church the manifold wisdom of God might be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places." | God's wisdom displayed through the church |
| Revelation 21:1 | "Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more." | Future hope of renewed creation |
Amos 4 verses
Amos 4 13 Meaning
The Lord God Almighty declares His intention to destroy all creation and instruct His faithful to flee. This verse highlights God's supreme power and authority over all things, His judgment upon wickedness, and the desperate need for deliverance for His people. It is a somber announcement of impending divine action.
Amos 4 13 Context
Amos 4 describes a series of divine judgments against Israel for their persistent sinfulness, including oppression, idolatry, and disregard for God's law. Despite these punitive measures (famine, drought, pestilence, war), the people had not returned to the Lord. Verse 12 is a call to prepare to meet God because of His coming judgment. Verse 13 then elaborates on who this God is that Israel must face, emphasizing His omnipotence as Creator of the natural world and the revealer of truth. The context is God's ultimate, overwhelming judgment about to be executed upon unrepentant Israel. The nation's refusal to turn from their sin means facing a God who has absolute dominion over everything they know and depend on.
Amos 4 13 Word Analysis
- for (Hebrew: כי, ki) - A conjunction introducing a reason or explanation.
- behold (Hebrew: הִנֵּה, hinneh) - An exclamation calling for attention, pointing to something significant about to be stated.
- he (Hebrew: הִנֵּה, hinneh) - Emphasizes the subject being introduced.
- who (Hebrew: יֹצֵר, yotser) - Verb from yatsar, meaning to form, fashion, shape, mold.
- forms (Hebrew: הָרִים, ha'arim) - From har, meaning mountain. Plural definite form. God is the one who creates and shapes the mountains.
- creates (Hebrew: וּבֹרֵא, uvores' ) - From bara, a primary term for divine, ex nihilo creation. Here, it means to create anew or create order.
- the wind (Hebrew: רוּחַ, ruach) - Spirit, wind, breath. Refers to the invisible power of the air.
- declares (Hebrew: מַגִּיד, magid) - From nagad, to tell, declare, announce.
- to man (Hebrew: לֶאֱנוֹשׁ, le'enosh) - To human being, mankind.
- what (Hebrew: מַה, mah) - Interrogative pronoun or relative pronoun, what.
- is his thought (Hebrew: מַחְשַׁבְתּוֹ, machshevto) - His thought, purpose, device. The Hebrew implies God reveals His hidden purposes and plans to humanity.
- who (Hebrew: הָאֹמֵר, ha'omer) - Verb from amar, to say, speak, tell.
- makes (Hebrew: לַבֹּקֶר, laboker) - To morning.
- the morning dawn (Hebrew: אוֹר, or) - Light. God causes light to appear at the morning.
- and (Hebrew: וְ, ve) - Conjunction.
- darkness (Hebrew: צַלְמָוֶת, tsalmavet) - Deep darkness, shadow of death. God also creates or allows darkness.
- treads (Hebrew: דֹּרֵךְ, dorekh) - From darakh, to tread, walk, walk upon. Implies sovereign movement and dominion.
- on the high places (Hebrew: עַל־בָּמוֹתֵי, al-bamotei) - On the high places, heights. Refers to elevated locations, often associated with pagan worship but here signifying places of power or the earth itself.
- of the earth (Hebrew: אָרֶץ, erets) - Earth, land.
- the LORD (Hebrew: יְהוָה, YHWH) - The covenant name of God, the LORD.
- the God of hosts (Hebrew: אֱלֹהֵי־צְבָאוֹת, Elohei-Tzva'ot) - God of armies, God of hosts. Refers to His might and command over heavenly armies (angels) and earthly powers.
- is his name (Hebrew: שְׁמוֹ, shemo) - His name. The declaration of His character and power is His name.
Word Group Analysis
- Formation and Creation of Nature: "who forms the mountains, creates the wind" - This pairs the geological shaping of the earth with the creation of the invisible, powerful force of wind, encompassing both the static and dynamic elements of the physical world.
- Revelation of Divine Will: "declares to man what is his thought" - God is not only a Creator but also a revealer. He communicates His intentions, plans, and judgments to humanity.
- Sovereignty over Light and Darkness: "makes the morning dawn and darkness" - God's absolute control extends over the fundamental cycles of day and night, symbolizing His control over all perceived states of being and knowledge.
- Dominion over Earth's Heights: "treads on the high places of the earth" - This emphasizes His supreme authority and mastery over all the terrain and highest points of the planet.
- The Name YHWH Elohei-Tzva'ot: "the LORD, the God of hosts, is his name" - This is a climactic declaration, summing up His covenantal identity (YHWH) with His attribute of supreme power and command over all powers (God of hosts). This title is consistently used in the Old Testament to denote His might and sovereignty in carrying out His purposes.
Amos 4 13 Bonus Section
The title "God of Hosts" (Elohei-Tzva'ot) is significant, appearing 480 times in the Old Testament. It often appears in conjunction with pronouncements of judgment or declarations of God's might in warfare, reflecting His command over the armies of heaven and earth to accomplish His purposes. This appellation provides the backdrop for understanding how God’s judgments are executed. The contrast between the power and vastness of the God described and the petty transgressions of Israel emphasizes the enormity of their defiance. The phrase "declares to man what is his thought" can also be seen as a foretaste of divine revelation, such as prophetic messages, which are expressions of God's innermost intentions.
Amos 4 13 Commentary
This verse serves as a powerful, almost overwhelming introduction to the Lord that Israel must face. It isn't just about any god, but the Creator God of the entire universe, the Lord of hosts. His actions in creation—forming mountains, controlling wind, orchestrating day and night, and treading on the highest points of the earth—underscore His absolute power and authority. He is the ultimate reality and power, in stark contrast to the localized, limited idols the Israelites had turned to.
The inclusion of "declares to man what is his thought" signifies that this all-powerful God is also a God who communicates and has purposes that He reveals. He is not a distant, uncaring force. He is sovereignly involved in human affairs and makes His will known. Therefore, Israel's impending judgment is not arbitrary but a direct consequence of facing this Creator-God's expressed will and established covenant. This verse is a theological summary of God’s omnipotence, providing the basis for the urgency and certainty of His impending actions described in the surrounding verses. It is a call to acknowledge the true nature of the one they have provoked.